(>>>>all propaganda, obviously. There's one little mention of the US of A, the UK think they're taking the toll, our headlines on the front page two days ago said that ten British servicemen died in order that 150 Afghans could vote)

"Gordon Brown said new equipment was being shipped to Afghanistan and has given a strong indication that more British troops will be sent to Afghanistan, during a surprise visit to the country.

Speaking from Helmand province, he said he wanted to speed up the training of Afghan soldiers and police, which needed the support of British troops.

He also pledged greater protection for troops from roadside bombs, which hours earlier claimed another British life.

A Royal Marine became the 208th British soldier killed in Afghanistan.

There are currently 9,000 UK troops in the country, mostly in Helmand.On his fourth visit to the country this year, the prime minister said that getting another 50,000 Afghan troops trained by November 2010 would enable them to "take more responsibility for their own affairs".

ANALYSIS:BBC deputy political editor James Landale, in Helmand"After the army's bloodiest summer so far and weeks of controversy over possible helicopter shortages, the prime minister wanted to show not just his support for British troops, he also wanted to restate his case for war - namely that unchecked terrorism in Afghanistan could reach the streets of Britain.Quicker training would need more British troops to train the Afghans and it is this which Mr Brown discussed with Gen Stanley McChrystal, the American head of Nato forces.[Gen McChrystal] is expected soon to tell President Obama that more troops are needed across the board and some of them will almost certainly be British.War now Brown's top priorityRoyal Marine killed in explosionHe said new equipment was being brought in to the field, such as more armoured vehicles."[This is] new equipment simply to give better protection to our forces and at the same time to make them more manoeuvrable."That - working with a big lift in the Afghan forces - is going to be the next stage of the post-election effort in Afghanistan."In his two-hour tour of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, the prime minister had a light lunch of sandwiches and crisps at a military base, during which he discussed the issue of pay with a group of Welsh Guards.In 40-degree heat, he viewed the reconstruction work being carried out, and met Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, and US commander General Stanley McChrystal.In promising greater help to counter the threat of improvised devices - which have caused a heavy toll among British forces - Mr Brown said another 200 extra anti-IED (improvised explosive device)specialists would be deployed in the autumn.There would also be more unmanned surveillance aircraft and better protected vehicles, he said.

WHAT GORDON BROWN PROMISED200 specialist counter-IED soldiers this autumn, to join 200 sent earlier this yearincrease in flights by unmanned surveillance aircraft like Hermes 450, Reaper and Desert Hawknew Warthog tracked vehicles for next spring, six months early20 more Ridgback protected vehicles for this autumnShadow defence secretary Liam Fox said: "IEDs are the single biggest killer of British forces in Afghanistan and this government has been woefully slow to provide our troops with the equipment they need to minimise the risk to them in a very dangerous environment."While we welcome this much needed increase in counter-IED capability, the prime minister has left many questions unanswered."These include, said Mr Fox, what will happen to the extra 900 troops temporarily deployed to provide increased security for the elections, and why so few of the 158 Ridgback protected vehicles ordered two years ago were now on the frontline.Karzai talksFormer commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp, said increasing Afghan Army numbers to 135,000 was possible if the US and UK invested sufficient resources.

With Afghan help, UK troops tried to make Helmand safer, pre-election"It's essential we get them trained to give us some sort of exit strategy," he said, otherwise there was a danger the mission would lose public support and "drift".While in the country, the prime minister spoke on the phone with President Hamid Karzai and his leading opponent, Abdullah Abdullah.British troops had been trying to secure parts of Helmand ahead of the presidential election nine days ago.

The latest results showed President Karzai widening his lead and edging closer to the 50% required to avoid a run-off.

BBC correspondent Chris Morris, in Kabul, said that counting of votes has been slow amid "massive" allegations of fraud directed at the government.

Last week the new head of the British army, General Sir David Richards, pledged to focus on the military effort in Afghanistan, as he took over the role.

Please keep posting the smiley pix of yourself (and of the male Afghans who actually look rather perplexed, both the ones voting last week and the ones joining up today and posing in their new uniforms).

From this side of the world and given the propaganda we must endure, it sounds like a total nightmare.

Every single day nowadays there are two or four more Brits killed. We don't get the news of US casualties here. It's awful. Don't understand it and don't like it...

But please keep the brilliant photos coming...

Are you allowed to take pix of Afghani women or children? Do you even see any? I'm curious about whether they'll dare pose or try to smile?

The very first one you posted of the small boy either saluting you or shading his eyes from the sun through the barbed wire fencing is a wonderful photo.

Please keep posting the smiley pix of yourself (and of the male Afghans who actually look rather perplexed, both the ones voting last week and the ones joining up today and posing in their new uniforms).

From this side of the world and given the propaganda we must endure, it sounds like a total nightmare.

Every single day nowadays there are two or four more Brits killed. We don't get the news of US casualties here. It's awful. Don't understand it and don't like it...

But please keep the brilliant photos coming...

Are you allowed to take pix of Afghani women or children? Do you even see any? I'm curious about whether they'll dare pose or try to smile?

The very first one you posted of the small boy either saluting you or shading his eyes from the sun through the barbed wire fencing is a wonderful photo.

All of them are, thanks so much.

Take care garebearwith mad love from Linda in London England xxx

Hey, Linda. I'm stationed in Kabul, which is not one of the worst parts of the country (hey, at least I'm honest). The south and the east are where most people are getting killed. I could still die any day here. Mostly, we are worried about car bombers.

It really looks like the US is giving up on this whole thing. George F Will, a famous conservative writer in the states, wrote recently that we should pull out. It really surprises me. I just wish that if we're going to pull out anyway, we do it tomorrow and stop all these young men from getting killed, no matter from what country they come.

We have orders never to photograph women. It really pisses the men off here. About half of them wear burqas still. Most of that stuff I see when I'm in the convoy and I can't take pics at all then. Looking for targets. The pic of that kid lives right outside the wall of my base. He asks me for cookies when I have guard duty. There are a bunch of those rugrats running around just outside the wire. The kids seem to love us the most. They always give us a thumbs up when we roll by.

The firstpic is of me and an Afghan Major.

The last one is the smoke ring from a suicide bomber. When they get it right, their smoke is white. That guy had five hundred pounds of explosives and detonated right by the US embasy.

Garebear thanks for these interesting posts and pictures and especially your service.

You remind me of the redhead from Brothers At War.

Thanks, Stella. I'm trying to order that movie online right now. I didn't realize it was a documentary. Very interested now. One of the Afghans let me see his AK a couple of days ago. Had to get a pic. Here is some Humanitarian Aid for the Afghans and our trucks near a mosque.

Totally amazing photos. The one of the smoke showing the aftermath of a suicide bomber is utterly fantastic, it looks like so many things. I might even use it for my desktop (for a few days or as long as I can bear it...

>>>Someone should get you an agent and start selling these pix to the press.

The "hardened area" one is also awesome, does that mean you are safe there? phew...

Skeptics and cynics here in the UK talk about the need to pull out. Obviously it's mostly the well-paid TV and newpaper press pundits and of course, comfy people on talk shows. They seem to think it's all about money, ie: oil and heroin.

Easy to do, I guess, when you're sitting pretty on a sofa >>> to forget about fighting for democracy and against terrorism.

What's your name garebear, I'm curious...

Also I knew you'd never be able or allowed to get a pic of an Afghani woman smiling, I was being daft.

So instead, how about a pic of you with your kit off? waist up only obviously...

Hey, Linda. The hardened facilities are all over post. There are a lot of bunkers as well. I sleep in a huge airplane hangar that is supposed to be hardened, but I don't know if I trust it.

This place hadn't been attacked since 2006, until last week. Two insurgents charged the front gate. I guess it was a suicide mission because I don't see how they were going to do much. A lot of people think it might have been a probe for a bigger attack later.

One of them fired an RPG that went all the way over the FOB - Forward Operating Base - and landed in a farm behind us.

Two insurgents dead, no US casaulties.

I try not to put too much stock in the news anymore. It only pisses me off.

Here's a no shirt pic, just for you. Today I met with the Ceremony guys for the ANA, that's the other pic. Pretty good day.

My first name is Garrett. As a joke in hi school, my friend used to call me garebear, so I just used it on here.